How Often Should You Clean Your Bong?

There’s always that one buddy with a cloudy, brown bong that makes you wonder if you’re smoking weed or tiny swamp creatures. This is when you know it’s time to clean your bong. That last bit is not as outlandish as it sounds.

Water is known as a carrier of many devastating and infectious diseases like cholera and diphtheria. This is not to say cholera is infesting your bong water.

However, leftover plant resin is a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. The water will develop a biofilm, colonies of microbes that form on the surface of the water. This growth can begin in as short a time as 24 hours. So, how often should you really clean your bong?

Simple answer: every day or after every use!

Some may say cleaning your bong every day is overkill. But there are many reasons why cleaning out dirty bong water and smoking fresh and clean will improve your experience.

At the very least, heavy smokers should use fresh bong water every day. Smoking from a dirty bong is harsh on your lungs and not to mention smells wretched.

Freshwater clears the bong for a better tasting, more pleasant smoking session. A good general rule is, if you can’t see through the water, then it’s time to clean your bong. Furthermore, bong water left after 22 hours will begin to grow mold and bacteria.

Now, two-day-old bong water will not kill you. However, it can cause colds and cases of flu. So taking care of your bong takes care of your health. In a way.

Signs To Look For Before Cleaning Your Bong

If you don’t clean your bong every day or after every smoke session, here are the tell-tale signs it’s time to clean before your next rip.

It smells, and not the sweet weed stench. It’s unpleasant. If you’re used to the stink, ask a friend for their opinion. If they recoil, clean it.

Slimy film inside the bong. This is the notorious biofilm, a lovely layer of sea monkeys growing in your water pipe.

Heavy resin buildup. If you find yourself chipping away at the bowl or the pipe to remove blockage, it’s time to pour some salt and boiling water in that thing.

Brown, unclear, bong water. Basically, if you cannot see through the bong, clean it. Or at least change the water.

Mold, a white or gray fuzz on the resin buildup. If you saw white fur on your fruit, you wouldn’t eat it, would you? Same applies to smoking from a bong. Don’t smoke the fuzz.

Ways To Clean Your Bong

For the occasional smoker, there is an easier way to maintain your bong without the dramatic deep clean every day. After a smoking session, pour out the bong water and replace it with boiling water.

Let the boiling water sit and team for a few minutes. Swish it around and then pour it out. Leave the bong upside-down overnight. The boiling water quickly removes resin that has yet to attach to the bong.

Whether it’s every day or every few days, every bong needs a good cleaning. The most efficiently proven method is using salt and rubbing alcohol.

You’ll need:

A bath tub or deep sink for the running water.

Alcohol Isopropyl is a popular choice. Or, nail polish remover with acetone is another solid option.

First, empty the bong and rinse out as much of the dirty resin with just running water. The add the salt and alcohol. If you’d like to let the bong soak for a time, add more alcohol. If you want to clean the bong quickly, add more salt and shake it.

Make sure all the holes are covered before shaking the bong to flush out the bacteria and mold. Empty the bong and rinse it a few times to make sure there’s no leftover alcohol taste. (For the full article on how to clean your bong click here.)

Now, your bong is ready for the next session ensuring a cleaner taste of your bud!

Chala Giron is a poet and writer currently residing in England. She spends her free weekends traveling and writing. Her work has appeared in Tidal Echoes Literary Journal and on the Juneau Public buses.